WhileDisneywould likely own the copywrites to the term “Princess” if it could, the successful studio isn’t the only one with some royalty to boast about, asMarvelandDChave made their own contributions to the cause, with fewer frills and more thrills, of course!
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All the hype is currently around the highly anticipatedLittle Mermaidlive-action feature, with Halle Bailey at the helm, while Gamora joins her as an unofficialDisneyPrincess inGuardians of the Galaxy: Mission Breakout!(although this particular plot is animated and therefore excludes this gorgeous green gal from the list). Comments will not be passed on Azula’s performance in the abysmal live-action version ofAvatar, The Last Airbender,as she has a chance for redemption in the newNetflixseries (which will hopefully debut in 2023).
6Aurora: Maleficent
The age-old tale ofSleeping Beautyis brought back to lifewith a refreshing twist; however, this time around, the narrative is delivered from the perception of the villainous fairy. While Angelina Jolie clearly steals the spotlight, Elle Fanning manages to hold her own alongside this A-list superstar, allowing the audience to effortlessly fall in love with her charm.
In stark contrast, other viewers are exceptionally frustrated by the girl’s naivety, which, in her defense, is likely a result of her isolated upbringing (and arguably a vital element of her character design). Aurora’s optimism is enough to inspire even the Dark Mistress to take a break from her melancholy, as Elle perfectly personifies the innocent, kind-natured characteristics expected from the Princess Ulstead (and Queen of the Moors).
5Princess Jasmine: Aladdin
Even though Princess Jasmine is technically a side character in the highly celebrated pauper-to-prince story, Naomi Scott’s mere presence in anyAladdinscene demands that all eyes are glued to her, as she is simply the picture of perfection!
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Jasmine’s cheeky attitude and sharp tongue make her the perfect role model for young Princess-loving girls; it accurately portrays that women can stand up for what they believe in, even if it goes against the grain of society’s expectations. There is no lipsynching involvedduring Jasmine’s singing inAladdin, as Scott personally makes some worthwhile contributions to theDisneysoundtrack, with her rendition ofSpeechlessdebuting on the Billboard Top 100 in 2018.
4Anne Hathaway as Mia Thermopolis: The Princess Diaries
While Mia may not possess incredible superpowers or attract birds to her side with the power of song, she does have an animal companion (Fat Louie) and a royal bloodline, not to mention one of the funniest Princess reveal stories in cinematic history!
The gangly, awkward, geeky girl isn’t winning any popularity contests at Grove High School; however, Mia begins to attract some unwanted attention (and a couple of highly-sought after flirting sessions) after discovering that she is next in line to inherit the Genovian Throne. She must first survive a crash course in etiquette during a Finishing School Boot Camp run by her long lostGrand-mère and her trusty assistant Joe,and to say thatAnne Hathaway is hilariously charmingthrough the whole ordeal is a grand understatement!
3Letitia Wright asPrincess Shuri: Black Panther
The Princess of Wakanda was always meant to take over the reins as Black Panther (during the Dark Reign era), so asheartbreaking as Chadwick Boseman’s untimely passing is, it is not the reason behind her ascension to superhero status. Shuri’s introduction to theMCUin 2018 emphasizes how sassy and smart T’Challa’s beloved younger sister is, allowing her to assimilate into the spotlight with ease inWakanda Forever.
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The innovative and brave scientist uses her genius-level intellect to develop a thorough understanding of Vibranium and how best to use it in her engineering exploits, creating some of the most revolutionary equipment for Wakanda (and some lucky heroes too!) Shuri proves that powerful women can have brains, brawn,andbeauty (without having to compromise to compensate for the male ego).
2Gal Gadot as Princess Diana: Wonder Woman
Miss Israel 2004 appears to have been born for this role, seamlessly fitting into her Amazonian look, eloquently accompanied by the seductive accent (and drop-dead gorgeous smile!) After spending most of her life training in the pristine setting of Themyscira, Princess Diana goes off on her own mission to assist a rather helpless human named Steve Trevor in his homeland and is subsequently thrown into the deep end of World War I.
Diana is fearless and ambitious, with a fierce protective instinct and a heart of pure gold, making her arguably the most well-respected lady in theDCEU. AlthoughWonder Woman’ssecond attempt (1984) is a bit wishy-washy and long-winded, this Amazonian Princess makes up for it all withher contribution to theJustice League(the original 2017 version,Zack Snyder’srendition,andBatmanvSuperman).
1Carrie Fisher as Princess Leia: Star Wars
The most iconic on-screen sci-fi princess of all time can be identified purely by her eye-catching hairstyle and flowing white ensemble (or by the memorable titillating golden bikini) and even caused a spike in Leia-related baby names after theStar Warsdebut in 1977. Ironically, she does not inherit her Princess status through her mother, Queen Amidala, but rather through her adoptive family, who just so happened to be royals, too (of theAlderaan High Court).
As one of the fiercest female warriors tolead the Rebel Alliance, Leiaclearly inherited her mother’s diplomacy and father’s inability to conform to standards; Carrie Fisher did a stellar job empowering women in a predominantly male-dominated genre and has cemented her status in history as a top-tier Rebel Princess.
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